Sunday, February 10, 2013

RIP Truman Cox

The whiskey world woke up to some sad and shocking news this morning. Truman Cox, 44, master distiller at A. Smith Bowman Distillery in Virginia, and formerly chief chemist at Buffalo Trace in Kentucky, died last night after a very brief illness.

Yesterday, we were helping him pick a name for his new dog.

He leaves behind a wife, young daughter, and legions of friends and admirers. Truman was one of the first industry people to participate in online bourbon enthusiast groups. He was simply a great guy, invariably funny and friendly, always ready to answer a question or explain a process, somebody you could always turn to.

Sadly, this is how it goes for all of us, but no matter how many times it happens, it never gets easy to say goodbye to a friend.

8 comments:

Deepest sympathies, Chuck. He was very nice to me in a couple of e-mail exchanges last year, regarding their 2012 limited edition bourbon. His accessibility made me feel like I had the inside-scoop on something. Sad news indeed.

Deepest sympathies, Chuck. Truman was very nice to me in a couple of e-mail exchanges last year, regarding their 2012 limited edition bourbon. His accessibility gave me the sense that I had the inside-scoop on something. Sad news.

I was fortunate to spend some time with Truman Cox at the Bowman distillery. He was incredibly generous with his time and knowledge, rightfully proud of his excellent work, and the personification of all the best of "bourbon culture" - a spirit of experimentation, personal generosity, and an almost giddy love for sipping good whiskey. After the tour, he mentioned in hushed tones that he had an open bottle of the next - as yet unreleased - edition of Abraham Bowman on his desk. He took me back there and we sampled some out of plastic cups. Do I think he did this with a lot of people who took the tour? Absolutely. Was it one of the bourbon highlights of this fan's life anyway? Absolutely. Great guy. Gone way too soon. He will be missed.

Richnimrod said;So very sad! I never met Truman; but had exchanged a few e-mails with him a year or more ago. I had it on bucket list to be sure to meet him face-to-face as I had found him to be so open and honest and very forthcoming about his passion (& mine); Bourbon. Please pass along my condolences to his family, as well as his close friends, whom I'm sure will miss him terribly for a very long time.